Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Top Questions

I get about homeschooling:

When did you start homeschooling Bookworm?
Honestly I don't know, maybe two days after we brought her home... Officially, she was 2 1/2 and Gypsy and Monster were both 1.

What curriculum do you use and where do you buy said curriculum?
For preschool I don't use curriculum. Teaching preschool and pre-Kindergarten for 6 years I have my own "curriculum" and I add to that ideas I come across when I need something fresh.

Some places I turn to for ideas:

Carisa has been posting her Tot School (preschool) homeschooling ideas and having people link up to her posts for years. I get a lot of ideas from the moms who link up to her posts.

I used this site when I was teaching and still turn to it often. There are art ideas galore! Everything is submitted by other teachers so it has all been used in the classroom! And everything is organized by themes.

This is my other favorite go to for art projects. She also posts some songs and she adds a lot of books to go along with her projects.

I love this lady! She has a ton of songs and finger plays on her youtube channel. She also has some art and cooking ideas too.

I turn to this blog for a lot of my fine motor skill activities. She has such a great picture display of everything she does in her Montessori classroom.

Curriculum reviews:
For Kindergarten curriculum I turned here and I read through review after review from other parents to find the curriculum that suits our family. Next month I will begin looking for our 1st grade curriculum.

What about "the social aspect?"
Having been homeschooled myself I still get the question, "What was your social life like?" My first thought to that question is usually wondering if I seem socially awkward to that person, why else would they be asking such a ridiculous question?! Instead of that I respond telling them that I was able to finish my school and go to work while my traditionally schooled friends were in school. Then in the afternoon and evening I was able to attend ballet and tap classes several days a week, be an active participant in my church youth group and hang out with friends. I never had to worry about homework or work when I wanted to spend time with friends or doing other fun activities. My "social life" was busier than some of my friends.

As for my children, well I have a Kindergartener, a 3-year-old, a 1-year-old and a baby on the way, how active should they be at these ages? We go to church, we have play dates (Brad cringes at that term!) with friends and we have our homeschool group. Those are our "social outlets" right now and they keep us busy! As they get a little older yes we will put the children in organized sports or other programs as they are interested. But for now we want them to have a childhood and enjoy playing!

Andi and Brad have been married since 2002. They have five squishers who keep them on their toes. She is a second generation home educator. In her spare time Andi creates and sells handmade goodies in her shop, Andi Gould Designs.